Stool
possibly Chippendale & Rannie (fl. 1754 - 1766)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1765 - circa 1770
Materials
Mahogany, chestnut, silk damask, brass studs
Measurements
46 x 56 x 46.5 cm
Place of origin
St. Martin's Lane
Order this imageCollection
Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire
NT 959767.1
Summary
A mahogany stool, English, circa 1765 - 1770, one of a near pair. The seat covered in later close-nailed crimson damask, and on four square-section legs, with a groove to the outer corner, and joined by an 'H'-shaped stretcher. One stretcher replaced, the seat rails replaced with chestnut.
Full description
It is possible that this stool was supplied by Thomas Chippendale, since it bears a resemblance to the long set of sixteen walnut and mahogany backstools [NT 959704.1 - .16] and five armchairs [NT 959769.1 - .3 and NT 959792.1 - .2], which are thought to have been supplied by him in 1766. These twenty-one chairs are all of the same relatively simple design, although they are not a true set as some are in walnut, some in mahogany, and some have grooves down the outside angles of their legs (like this stool) whilst the majority do not. Nonetheless, these chairs are thought to relate to an entry in the accounts of 24th June 1766 for '10 Mahogany parlour chairs cover'd with horse hair and double brass nail'd...£12.0s.0d' with '2 Mahogany elbow Chairs to match' and another entry for 9th October 1766 when a further ten and two single armchairs were supplied. This pair of stools are not listed, although one of them might relate to an entry on 18th May 1767 when 'A Mahogany hollow-seated stool stuff'd and cover'd w hair cloth to match your chairs' was billed for at a cost of £1.2s.0d. There are also a pair of sofas NT 959772 and NT 959773 which have similar legs and stretcher arrangements. This stool is heavily restored. (Megan Wheeler, February 2018)
Provenance
Date of acquisition not recorded, but by descent, and purchased by the National Trust by private treaty sale from Lord St Oswald in 2008.
Makers and roles
possibly Chippendale & Rannie (fl. 1754 - 1766), cabinetmaker possibly Thomas Chippendale (fl. 1766 - 1771 when operating without a business partner), cabinetmaker
References
Gilbert (1978): Christopher Gilbert, The Life & Work of Thomas Chippendale (1978), 2 volumes., p. 185 Boynton and Goodison, 1968: Lindsay Boynton, and Nicholas Goodison. “Thomas Chippendale at Nostell Priory.” Furniture History 4 (1968): pp.10-61., p. 42 Boynton and Goodison, 1969: Lindsay Boynton and Nicholas Goodison. “The furniture of Thomas Chippendale at Nostell Priory.” Burlington Magazine III June 1969: pp.350-60., p. 359 K. Bristol, ‘A Tale of Two Sales: Sir Rowland Winn and No.11 St James’s Square, London, 1766-1787’, in History of Retailing and Consumption 2.1 (2016), 9 – 24. West Yorkshire History Centre, WYW 1352/3/3/1/5/3/63.